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DIY: Glittering Glass Ball Christmas Ornaments

by yogijen73 on November 17, 2011

Last year I decided to purchase a new tree for my dining room. In the past we had two trees…one in the living room which is the “family” tree with all the kids school creations along with all of our Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments, and in the kitchen was the snowman tree. But I was looking to add a more elegant tree into the mix and I thought the dining room was the perfect place.

After making several trips to Garden Ridge, I finally decided on the right tree. Then came time to decorate the tree…I had already spent at least $100 on the tree itself and I did not want to spend $100 more on decorating the tree. So, I decided to make most of the ornaments myself.

Searching the internet was how I came up with Martha Stewart’s instructions on how to create dazzling glitter ornaments. I LOVE glitter and sequins…anything sparkly really. Now, there are some recipes out there on the internet which show you how to glitter the inside of a clear glass ball ornament using ink, but that really wasn’t the look I was going for. I wanted the full scale dazzle!

List of Supplies:

8-count glass ball ornaments

1 bottle of Martha Stewart glittering glue

1/2″-1″ paint brush

1 Tbsp. Martha Stewart fine glitter (color of your choice)

1 Tbsp. extra fine Recollections glitter (color of your choice)

8 wooden skewers

Piece of foam/Styrofoam board

Ribbon color of your choice

Paper

2 bowls

Directions:

1. To prepare your workspace, lay down a sheet of paper or cardstock.

2. In a bowl, combine the glitters together; mix well. You should have another empty bowl on hand so you can sprinkle the glitter over the ornament and the bowl acts as a “catch-all” for the falling glitter. Plus, you are able to recycle and use the glitter on the rest of the ornaments. You will repeat this step over and over. If the glitter lands on the paper, that is fine…simple transfer the glitter from the paper back into the bowl to use on a new ornament.

3. Remove the silver cap from your glass bulb.

4. Insert a pencil into the opening in the ball ornament. I like to use my pinky finger because I have better control of the ornament as I apply the glue.

5.Using a paint brush, generously apply the glittering glue on the clear bulb until the entire area is covered with glue.

6. Cover the glue area with glitter.

7. Slowly slide the skewer into the opening to replace the pencil.

8. Stick the skewer into the foam board to dry.

9. Once dry, replace the silver cap back onto the ball.

10. Shake off the excess glitter back into the bowl of mixed glitter so you can use again, if desired.

11. Tie a ribbon bow onto the silver cap.

12. Hang on the Christmas tree.

This is really a very simple process. Last year, I made red and black glitter balls using only Martha Stewart glitters. This year I added the extra fine glitter to help the ornaments have more of a “winter” look about them.

When I used only the Martha Stewart fine glitters, the measurements were 1 Tbsp. glitter (color of your choice) with 1 tsp. Sterling Silver glitter. Mix together well.